One of the most remarkable transformations that the fast metabolism program has brought to us is we become smart and picky eaters. We become educated in identifying healthy foods from its unhealthy counterparts.

But as we do grocery shopping to buy our food supplies, we are faced to common issue of getting confused with food labeling. The question is what do these labels really mean? Does it make a difference if we are knowledgeable with the food labels?

What does “pesticide-free”, “cage-free”, “free-range”, mean? How do they differ in affecting our overall health and well-being?

In this blog post, we will guide you on how to differentiate these food labels and be a smart consumer by picking safe and healthy choices for your fast metabolism diet program.

1. OrganicAn organic product bears a USDA organic seal. It is considered the highest stamp of an organic approval. The organic seal ensures that the product is being produced without any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other growth-hormone chemicals. It ensures that the produce you’re eating is being grown naturally and manually. When a product has an organic seal, you are rest assured that you’re consuming the cleanest food possible.

2. Cage Free or Free RangeThis basically means that the animals are given much more freedom to move around, rather than being restrained in a cage. “Cage free” label is often applied in eggs while the label “free range” refers to the animals (cows, chicken, pigs, turkey, fish, etc).

Note: Keep in mind that the meat in “Cage Free” or “Free Range” products are not guaranteed that it was humanely treated, and that it only means that these animals are able to roam freely as they claimed.

3. Grass-FedThis food label means that an animal ate nothing but an animal’s milk (either cow, sheep, goat, etc), fresh grass, and hay. If you are going to purchase a product that is Grass-fed, look for “American Grassfed Association” or “Animal Welfare Approved” stamp to ensure that the animal was raised on a range or family-owned pasture.

4. Pesticide-Free
A USDA approved product is also generally pesticide free. You can look on pesticide residue-free label to identify pesticide free products. The same as with hormone free/antibiotic free.

5. All Natural or NaturalThis food label is the most intriguingly food label of all. The term natural refers to the foods without synthetic preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and additives. However, several companies are misleading the market for labeling their food as “natural” when in fact, it’s not. Your best bet on identifying natural food is with USDA seal.

Now that food labels are singled out in this post, you have a reason to be watchful of your foods and your surroundings. It is better to be safe at all times so minimize your exposure to bad elements such as GMO produced foods. Stay informed and be vigilant.